Run From The Future, Run From The Past
by philosophical-army
Summary: To be honest, when Tony said that he could save himself, he didn't think it would be this literal. OR IM1 Tony meets Post Endgame Tony. Cross posted with AO3


**Backlash**

**_Δ May 18, 2028 Δ_**

"It should be harmless." Tony muttered to himself as he looked at the plans of the time machine once again, after five whole years. To be honest, Tony wasn't sure why he was really looking at this, considering he had other things to do than being nostalgic; like attending at his and Harley's training session about operating the suit or seeing Peter and updating Karen's code against intruders, setting alarms even if it somehow happened. "Friday, run some simulations. Add the variable of how it could go without the Pym Particles. Alert me when you are done."

_"On it, Boss."_

As the AI said this and started the simulations, Tony took a deep breath and made his way out of the workshop and towards the elevator to get up to the ground level of the compound. He hoped no one was there; after all it was 11 AM, everyone had something to do at this hour. Either they were at school or on a mission, to which he half listened to, but forgot about once he was outside the conference room. If the mission didn't include the help of Iron Man why should he pay attention to it? He could read the mission reports later (This really irritated both Rhodey and Carol. And sometimes Rogers and his merry band of followers.).

Once he was at the common floor, he made his way towards the kitchen, where he found that woman, once again, floating in the air with a confident aura around her. Her eyes were closed, as always, like she was mediating. "Hello, Tony." She spoke, her tone soft, while he continued to look at her suspiciously. She wasn't good news. If she was here, the almighty Mother Nature showing her face after a long time, they had a very serious problem on their hands.

"Why are you here?" Tony asked without moving from the place he stood, looking at her peaceful face, his eyebrows furrowed. "Do I need to alert others?" If he needed to do that, they needed to comeback from their respective missions. If this wasn't an important thing there would be a very big headache named United Nations for him. "Aren't you going to greet me, Tony?" She asked, finally opening her unnaturally green eyes, her feet touching the floor softly. "I think we can pass the pleasantries." Tony gritted his teeth, before remembering what his dentist had said about it. Extremis might have healed his whole body, scratch that, rebuilt his whole body, but he needed to be careful.

"You wouldn't be here if there wasn't anything catastrophic. What is it this time? Another genocidal maniac or is it the Kree again?" He managed to ask with a blank expression on his face and an indifferent tone. Though the only thing she did was tilt her head slightly to the side, it seemed like she didn't even hear his question. "How is your arm?" She asked instead, her green eyes looking directly into his, which made Tony shift in place uncomfortably before he gave a brief look at his right arm. He closed and opened his fist slowly, as if to be sure that it was still there.

"It's working fine, thank you." He said briefly, which made the woman give him a small, genuine smile. "I am glad." She said before she came closer and hooked her arm into his, before she started to walk towards the elevators he just came from. Tony wasn't sure if he should stop her going wherever she was going with him; to be honest, he didn't even know how he could stop her. How could you stop Mother Nature for God's sake? "What are you doing Cetrion?" He asked cautiously, but the woman didn't say anything as she pushed the button for his workshop, which made him frown slightly.

"You'll see my dear." She said with her usual smile on her face, right before the doors of the elevator opened and she stepped out of the elevator with him. Making her way towards the holo table slowly, her face illuminated by the light of the simulations Friday was running. "You are looking at this again." She asked. "Why?" Tony didn't say anything. Because he didn't have any idea why he was looking at the plans of the time machine and various variables again, after five years have past. "I don't know." He admitted silently, biting his inner cheek with irritation. Cetrion let out a soft hum, as if she knew something he didn't after hearing his answer. "You know why?" He asked with a frown on his face, directing his gaze towards her green eyes. Cetrion nodded silently before she started to explain.

"When you and your team travelled back in time to retrieve the Infinity Stones to stop Thanos, you caused countless paradoxes in space and time. But this doesn't mean anything. Time can heal itself but space could not, which creates a conflict between them." She said with an indifferent tone before turning her gaze towards Tony. "It is going to backlash. There were signs for that since the moment you made this time machine. This universe doesn't have much time left. Everyone who was on that battlefield is going to be affected from this." She pointed to the hologram with her head, making Tony gulp down with horror.

He leaned forward to hold on to the holo table to prevent his hands from shaking. They fucked up once again, he fucked up once again and this time it wasn't just a planet at risk. It was the whole goddamn universe. "But you aren't." His head snapped towards the woman, who was looking at him with soft eyes, there were hints of sympathy. "Because you held the Infinity Stones and they left an imprint on you Tony. It is a failsafe to protect their wielders against catastrophes like this." Tony gulped down, and tried to take a deep breath to even his breathing, tried to stop the shaking of his hands.

"What's going to happen to me, if I am not going to…? If I am not going to die?" He managed to whisper his question without looking at Cetrion. "You are going to be transported to another universe." She answered him. "It doesn't matter if your other counterpart is there or not." She said softly. "I think it is going to be a familiar universe with small differences." Tony let out a shaky breath. He was going to live after everyone he cared about died. It was the reality that Wanda had placed in his head a decade ago. What an irony.

"Be sure to take these." He heard Cetrion say right before she placed several housing units for the armor in front of him which made him look up at her face with confusion. "You are going to need them, more than before." She said before looking up with a grim expression. "It is going to happen soon. Quick!" She said with a panic, before grabbing one of the housing units, planting it on his chest and tapping twice. "May Kronika help you my dear." She said before the armor completely engulfed him.

Tony didn't even have time to say anything before everything had gone completely white.

ΩΩΩΩ

**_Δ July 18, 2008 Δ_**

_"Boss! Boss wake up!"_

The reason Tony woke up was Friday, who was shouting at him with hints of panic in her voice. He let out a painful groan when he tried to move his head. Every little muscle in his body was aching and he could swear that his brain could burst like a volcano from his ears. Plus he was sweating. Why the hell was he sweating? "I woke up Fri, stop shouting…" He mumbled silently, gulping down the nonexistent saliva to soften his throat, he could swear that the AI took a relaxed breath after hearing his voice. "What happened Friday?" He asked after a few minutes, before opening his eyes only to see the familiar interface of the Iron Man HUD.

Why was he in his suit? He didn't recall that there was a danger for him to wear his suit. He was alone in the compound while everyone were away on missions. _"You don't remember?"_ Friday asked cautiously which made Tony frown slightly. Did he need to remember? "Do I need to?" He asked with the same caution. "By the way retract the helmet." He muttered. _"I don't recommend you do that Boss."_ Friday said, leaving his first question unanswered, though her answer made him frown deeper. "Why not? Is there something dangerous?" He asked. His question went unanswered again, though after a few seconds his helmet retracted back, leaving him alone with the dry, hot wind and with the sun shining strong enough to blind his unprotected eyes.

"Friday… What happened?" He asked silently when the helmet engulfed his head once again, protecting his eyes from the murderous sun and the dry air. After a few moments of hesitation, Friday started to explain everything that happened. After she finished speaking Tony let out a shaky breath. Everyone… Everyone was dead. Everyone he knew was fucking dead! Just because of him. Because of him…

_"Boss! Boss, you are safe, there is nothing that could harm you."_ She continued to speak, to prevent him from hyperventilating and it worked. "Where or when are we Friday?" Tony asked as he gulped down slightly, the heat was starting to get the best of him. _"We are in the desert of Afghanistan, Boss."_ Friday answered a few seconds later. _"And the date is July 18, 2008."_ There was a few seconds of silence which made Tony frown slightly. _"We are close to the caves that your counterpart is being held."_

And wasn't this Tony's luck?

"Let's save him baby girl."


End file.
